The Other Burglar
by AkwardBabyGiraffe
Summary: Ingrid wasnt looking for an adventure, she was looking for food. But she found 13 dwarves heading on a quest to reclaim their homeland. When Bilbo originally denies his role as burglar, Ingrid volunteers to take his place. However, when he changes his mind, she kept as a "back up plan". During their quest, Ingrid develops feelings for a certain beardless dwarf. Thilbo as well.
1. Chapter 1

**So I was wondering what the movie would have been like if there was a female along on the quest. so I made up one to join the all boys company. I hope you enjoy it.**

Hobbits. They were peaceful people and always seemed to have plenty to eat. Young Ingrid slinked through the darkness as she neared the Hobbit hole. Her golden blonde hair was tied tightly into a bun atop her scalp, away from her face and her sapphire eyes looked keenly through the small window of the hobbit's home. She saw the small man sitting at his dinning table, a plate of fish sitting in front of him. Her stomach twisted with hunger. She knew that hobbits usually went straight to bed after supper. She wouldn't have to wait long. When the man went to sleep, she would slip into the cozy little home, grab a few biscuits and some cheese then she would slip back into the night. The hobbit would never know.

As she sat, crouched in front of the window, Ingrid heard someone coming up the path behind her. She turned and saw a large, butch man with a bald head, make his way to the hobbit's front door. She stayed hidden in the shadows, so to not be seen. Now standing in the light from the house, she could see that the man was a dwarf. He rang the bell on the door with a huff. Looking back through the window, Ingrid saw the hobbit rising from his sear with a sigh. He scuttled to the door, where he froze in shock and confusion.

"Dwalin, at your service." the dwarf introduced with a bow. The hobbit was silent for a moment before he came to his senses. He tied his robe and smiled in confusion.

"Bilbo Baggins at yours." he replied. The dwarf, Dwalin, pushed his way into the hobbit hole as Bilbo asked, "Do we know each other?"

Dwalin gave him a strange look as he replied in a matter of fact tone, "No."

The dwarf took off his cloak and threw it at the hobbit, asking where his supper was. Bilbo had eventually closed the door, limiting what Ingrid could hear. Soon, Dwalin was placed at the small dining table, chewing greedily at the fish, even biting off its scaly head. She had a hard time watching him eat, her own hunger becoming almost unbearable. A rustle down the path made Ingrid hide back into the shadows. A small, white haired dwarf waddled up the path and he too stopped at Bilbo's door. The door was soon answered by the baffled hobbit. The old dwarf bowed in a dramatic way and announced, "Balin, at your service."

Bilbo's face fell as he greeted in a flat tone, "Good evening."

The old man smiled and looked behind him, before stepping inside the hobbit home. "Yes, it is. Though I think it might rain later."

Bilbo closed the door as the two dwarves greeted each other by smashing their heads together with booming laughs. They then moved into the kitchen, where they disappeared from sight. Bilbo chased after them, his hairy feet pattering against the hard wood of the floor. Ingrid sank away from the window, leaning her back against the home. She had come here for food but now it seemed it would be a long while until the house was abandoned. _Perhaps I should go to a different home. _she thought to herself. Getting up to leave, she stopped suddenly when she saw two hooded figures walking briskly up the path. They were too tall to be hobbits.

"More dwarves?" she whispered to herself, crouching back down into the shadows as the two men stopped at the front door. They pulled down their hoods to reveal their surprisingly attractive faces. The one furthest away from her had golden hair and beard, both which were braided. He had a smiling face and light blue eyes. The dwarf closest to Ingrid had long, dark hair. He had no beard save the stubble on his cheeks and chin. He was quite tall for a dwarf, surely taller than Ingrid by a few inches. His dark eyes seemed to shine.

"This is the place, brother?" the dark haired dwarf asked, smacking the other on the shoulder. The golden haired one nodded.

"I do believe so. Care to give it a ring?" he asked. When the other nodded, he rang the doorbell. Ingrid could hear Bilbo shuffled to the door. When he threw it open, the golden haired dwarf smiled. "Fili"

"And Kili." the dark haired one added.

"At your service." they said in sync with a bow.

"You must be mister Boggins." Kili smiled. Ingrid stifled a giggle at his mispronunciation.

"Nope. You cant come in. You've got the wrong house." Bilbo told them, closing the door. Kili put himself between the door and the lock, keeping the door from closing. He look at Bilbo like a wounded animal.

"What? Has it been cancelled?" he asked. Fili looked equally distraught.

"No one told us." he added. Bilbo looked confused.

"No. nothings been cancelled." he sputtered. The brothers smiled.

"Well that's a relief." Kili cheered, pushing his way into the home, followed by his brother. Giving up, Bilbo closed the door. Ingrid peeked through the window, her eyes locked on Kili. He was strutting about the hall, scraping his shoes on a old looking wooden box, much to the hobbit's dismay. An involuntary smile formed on her lips as she watched the smiling dwarf. The butch dwarf, Dwalin, threw an arm around his shoulders and escorted him and his brother into the dining room and out of sight.

Ingrid's curiosity was peaked when she saw a large group of nearly ten dwarves, stumbling up the path. A very tall man with a gray, pointed hat stood above them. The young thief had to hide further back into the darkness so she wouldn't be found. The dwarves rang the bell and pounded on the door, all pushing to get in. Bilbo was yelling for them to go away when he opened the door, allowing all of them to spill into his home, falling on top of each other. Ingrid clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at the scene.

Soon, all of the dwarves had gotten up and pushed their way inside. They all went to the dinning room, forcing Ingrid to move to the window that peeked into that room so she could see. After a long period of bustling around, all of the dwarves, 12 in number, not including the hobbit and the tall man, who she had heard called Gandalf. They all ate like animals, throwing food back and forth to each other, walking on the table, burping; it strangely reminded Ingrid of her own family, which made her smile just a bit. Watching them eat, however, made stomach twist in an unbearable hunger. How long had it been since she had last eaten? Days? By the looks of how the dwarves were eating, it seemed like there wouldn't be much food left after they got through. But Ingrid still stayed outside, watching. Her curiosity was too strong to go now. What were all of these dwarves doing in this little hobbit hole?

After all of the food had been devoured, the dwarves began to move about the home. Ingrid bounced from window to window, trying to see everything. Bilbo and Gandalf were arguing quietly until they were interrupted by a young looking dwarf who was holding a dirty plate. Fili came into view and took the plate, throwing it to Kili, who threw it to a dwarf in the kitchen. Ingrid smiled as the happy company tossed dishes to one another, singing in booming voices that shook the home. When all of the dishes were done and the singing had ceased, a thunderous knock came from the door. Ingrid quickly ran to her previous spot by the door to get a look at the newcomer.

It was another dwarf. He was large with muscle and his hair was dark. The way he held himself told Ingrid that he was important. He gave the smallest hint of a smile when Gandalf opened the door. Beginning a cheerful banter with the old man, he made his way through the door. The door was left open for a little bit, allowing Ingrid to hear the newcomer being introduced. "This is the leader of our company. Thorin Oakenshield."

The name rang in Ingrid's ears. She knew that name. She had heard it in several stories and songs. The door of the hobbit home closed, but the name of the King Under the Mountain still rang in her head.

**I hope you enjoy it! I will be posting another chapter soon. Please review with your feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ingrid had hurried back to the window where she could see the dining room. She ignored the hunger that gnawed at her, but she was too curious about this whole gathering to go search for food. They were all sitting back at the dinning table, Thorin now eating at the head of the table. The old dwarf, Balin was the first to speak. "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

Thorin nodded thoughtfully. "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

The dwarfs mumbled in approval. Dwalin's booming voice spoke next. "And what do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

"They will not come." Thorin said somberly. The dwarves groaned in disappointment as Thorin continued with a bitter tone. "They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

Ingrid's curiosity spiked at that, and apparently, so did Bilbo's who asked quietly, "You're going on a quest?"

Gandalf cleared his throat and said kindly to the hobbit as he pulled a folded up piece of parchment from his pocket, "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light."

Bilbo scrambled to grab another lighted candle as Gandalf unfolded it. Ingrid stood up onto the tips of her toes to try and see what they were all crowding around. The old wizard continued, "Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

Ingrid smiled as she whispered, "The Lonely Mountain."

"Aye," Glion, answered. Ingrid froze, thinking that he had heard her. However, she soon realized that the dwarf was talking to Bilbo, who had said the same thing. "Oin has read the portents and the portents say, its time."

Though some of the men scoffed and rolled their eyes, Oin nodded in agreement. "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as foretold: when birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

Ingrid smiled, she had always wanted to go on an adventure. Beast. Quest. That sure sounded like and adventure to her. Bilbo, on the other hand looked pale as he asked in a shaky voice, "Uh, what beast?"

The dwarf with the funny hat, Bofur, answered this, "Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"

"Yes I know what a dragon is." Bilbo cut off. Ingrid should have been frightened by the thought of a dragon, any sensible girl would have been. But Ingrid wasn't like other girls. She played in the mud with her younger brothers and always wore men's clothes because they where easier to move around in than dresses. So instead of fear, she felt excitement; a longing to join in the quest. A smaller dwarf, she thought his name was Ori, jumped from his seat.

" I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie." he shouted, earning laughs from his brethren. He was pulled back down into his seat by Dori, as Balin raised his voice to be heard.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best," the old man said, looking at the others with a doubtfully glance. "nor the brightest."

The other men began objecting, shouting comebacks. A young, yet strong voice overpowered the shouting, making itself heard. Ingrid turned slightly to see Fili was the one who spoke. His voice was powerful and strong as he slapped his hand down on his table, "We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Kili added, with an exited glint in his dark eyes; like a child hearing his favorite story.

"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I- -" Gandalf stammered as the dwarves pressed him for more information on his 'dragon killing'. Eventually, their voices rose until they were once again arguing.

"Shazara!" Thorin bellowed, rising from his seat. Ingrid flinched at the sudden outburst, recognizing that the word meant silence. And that's what it created; the room became quiet as everyone lowered back into their seats. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?"

The dwarves all cheered from their seats. Even Ingrid felt the power in the dwarf king's words. Balin however, still looked doubtful. "You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf correcting, pulling a dwarfish key from his pocket, twirling it through his fingers. Thorin looked at it with awe and wonder.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." he asked, never taking his eyes from the key.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." the wizard answered, handing the key over to its rightful owner.

"If there is a key, there must be a door." Fili said quietly. Gandalf nodded and pointed at the map.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls." he told them, tracing the lines on the map with his pipe.

"There's another way in!" Kili cheered quietly.

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden

somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who

can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But,

if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done." Gandalf finished.

"That's why we need a burglar." Ori piped up. Bilbo nodded in agreement.

"Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine." the hobbit mumbled.

"And are you?" one dwarf asked.

"Am I what?" Bilbo asked. Ingrid now understood why these dwarves had shown up here; they needed a burglar.

"He said he's an expert! Hey!" another dwarf cheered. The rest joined them as realization dawned on Bilbo.

"M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life." the flustered hobbit stammered.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material." Balin interjected. Bilbo nodded in agreement.

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin huffed as the hobbit continued to nod. The dwarves began arguing again. Ingrid watched as Gandalf grew angrier. He suddenly rose to his feet, towering over the other men; a darkness spreading through the room.

Ingrid could not help but feel afraid as the wizard bellowed, "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!"

Gandalf quickly returned to his normal self as he continued calmly, "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."

Thorin gave a small sigh. "Very well. We will do it your way."

Bilbo looked panicked. "No, no, no."

Thorin paid no mind to him. "Give him the contract."

A small cheer went through the room as Balin handed Bilbo a folded piece of parchment. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo squeaked. Ingrid watched anxiously as the hobbit unfolded the contract and began to read it aloud.

"Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations ... evisceration … incineration?"

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur said calmly. Bilbo looked a bit sick at that.

"You all right, laddie?" Balin asked worriedly, as Bilbo struggled to get a hold of himself. He bent over, looking nauseated.

"Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint." he sputtered. Bofur rose to his feet.

"Think furnace with wings." he continued.

"Air. I-I-I need air." Bilbo looked like he may pass out.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash." the dwarf finished. that's what did it.

Bilbo stood up straight before finally fainting with a strained, "Nope."

The dwarves quickly rose to their feet and helped get the hobbit into a chair, leaving the dining room abandoned. Ingrid took a deep breath. This was it. She could sneak in through the window and grab what was left from the dinner. Not giving herself enough time to change her mind, she adjusted the small satchel on her shoulder and pulled out her small knife from her waist. Slipping the blade in-between the window and the frame, she pried the latch open. She smiled to herself as she returned the knife to its holster.

Pulling the window open, she gave a little jump and pulled herself through the small hole. She landed quietly and gracefully on her feet. She risked a look down the hall, happy to see that the dwarves were still tending to the unconscious hobbit. She flipped her hood of her small cloak up and quickly crossed the room, to the pantry. It was pretty much barren, save for a few herbs and spices that hung from the ceiling. She gladly pulled them free and stuffed them into her satchel; she could at least sell them in a market. She took a step backwards, her foot bumping into a jar. She flinched at the scraping sound that she made and froze. After a long moment of silence, she let out the breath she had been holding.

She went back to the dining room and searched the shelves. She found several loafs of bread, a plate of biscuits, and apple and even a leftover chunk of cheese. After carefully wrapping her spoils in a napkin, she placed them gingerly in her bag. Pleased with her findings, she turned to head back to the window.

"I believe that's called stealing." a smooth voice said from behind her. Keeping her hood up, hiding her face, she turned slowly to see the dwarf brothers, Kili and Fili, standing in the doorway. It was Kili who had spoken. "Why don't you just drop the bag and be on your way."

Ingrid didn't feel afraid. Though she'd rather avoid confrontation, she knew how to handle herself. She pulled her knife from her waist and said, "I don't think so."

**I hope you liked it! Please review and share!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please Enjoy! Also, don't forget to review!**

Kili and his brother looked at the thief in shock when it spoke in a female's voice. She was just a bit shorter than the brunette and had a slim, curvy figure. Kili could not help but feel awestruck when she pulled back the hood of her cloak to reveal a human, though her beauty matched that of an elf's. Her eyes glimmered like blue gems and her hair shone like sunlight. The lights from the room my her skin shine with a warn glow. Her facial features were sharp and defined, accented by dimples beside each side of her mouth. She wore men's trousers and a tunic that hung loosely on her frame. A quick glance at his brother showed that Fili too was shocked by the thief's appearance. Kili finally sputtered out, "You're a girl."

"How observant of you. For a moment there I thought I was a goblin. Thank you so much for settling that matter." she smirked, her accent thick like honey. She slowly backed away to the open window she must have entered from. She kept her dagger in front of her as she adjusted the satchel for of food on her shoulder. "Now, if its all the same to you, I will just leave. Have a good evening."

She turned to run to the window, but was cut off when Fili jumped in her way and quickly snatched the knife from her hand. She looked at the dwarves warily as she asked in a meek voice, "Please, sirs, you wouldn't raise your hand to a woman would you?"

She took a step back, bumping into the dinning table. Kili quickly stood in her path as she tried to run in the opposite direction. She had the look of a scared fawn that had just been caught. The fear in her wide blue eyes made Kili feel sorry for her. Her bottom lip quivered just a bit as her eyes became watery. She whimpered, "Please, sir. I'm just so hungry."

"Just give us the bag and you can go." Fili commanded, his voice making her flinch a bit. She look at each of the brothers before sighing in defeat. She took the bag from her shoulder and held it out to Kili. The young dwarf looked at the human girl in pity as he reached out to take the bag, keeping his eyes locked on those of the girl's. He was to late to notice the small smirk that appeared on her face as she clamped her left hand on his wrist with a frighteningly strong grip.

She quickly stuck her left foot behind his heel and with her free hand, grab his chin and pushed him back. He stumbled over her foot and landed with a thump on his back. He groaned in pain when his head bounced off the hardwood flooring. The girl giggled as she threw the bag back over her shoulder. Fili charged after her, going to help his brother. She quickly sidestepped him, kicking the back of his left knee as he passed by her. He let out a grunt of pain as his knees slammed painfully into the floor. The girl quickly plucked her knife from his fingers and gave him a light peck on the cheek before running past the two brothers. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a pipe and some of the leaf that went with it. She picked them both up and with a shrug, placed them in the bag. She shot one last smile at the two dwarves, who were stumbling to their feet, before running to the front door. She flipped up her hood as Kili shouted out from where he laid, "Stop her!"

She ran into the hallway where all the other dwarves were. Bilbo was awake but still looked flustered. All heads turned to her as she stopped in front of the doorway and smiled at the dwarves, "Have a good evening, sirs. I'll be seeing ya soon."

And with that, she threw open the door and ran down out into the night; out of sight. Fili and Kili stumbled out the door and onto the road. They both looked about and saw no sign of the young girl. She had just disappeared. A confused and angry looking Thorin stood in the doorway, his booming voice asking, "What was that?"

The two brothers stared at each other then at their uncle, trying to figure out a way to explain to their uncle and king that they had just been beaten by a girl.

* * *

Ingrid laughed to herself as she walked down the east road. The dwarves would travel on that road when they left in the morning and that would be where she stopped them. Sitting underneath a large oak tree not to far from the road, the young thief unpacked her satchel and laid her findings out in front of her. She would eat the fruit and cheese tonight, for they would spoil first. After collecting small twigs and branches, she made a small fire by striking her knife against a rock, creating a big enough spark.

Using a small twig as a lighter, she lit her stolen pipe and stuck it between her teeth. Cutting her apple into slices, she puffed contently on the pipe. As the evening chill set in, she snuggled closer to the fire and drew her cloak tighter around her. She quickly ate her small meal and packed the rest of food back into her bag. She did not go to sleep that night, instead she stayed up and watched the fire burn down. She never slept for she feared her dreams. They brought bad memories and nightmares that caused her to wake up screaming.

When the sun began to creep over the hills of the Shire, Ingrid rubbed her eyes and rose to her feet. It wasn't long before she heard the padding of horse hoofs coming from down the road. She stood in the middle of the road as several ponies and a horse trotted into sight. Thorin was at the front of the group, followed by the wizard and then the rest of the dwarves. Ingrid was not surprised when she saw that Bilbo was not with them. They halted when they saw and recognized her. Kili and Fili quickly dismounted from their ponies and came to stand in front of her, tensed for another attack. Ingrid held her hands up in surrender. "I did not come here to fight, good sirs."

"Then why did you come? To steal again?" Kili demanded. Ingrid rolled her eyes and threw her bag at Kili's .

"There, you can have it all back." she told them, trying to keep the bitterness out of her tone. Thorin dismounted and came to stand in front of her. He was a good bit taller than she and his scowl was disconcerting. Ingrid, however, did not let him intimidate her.

"What is your name?" he asked, his voice booming.

"Ingrid, sir." she replied, keeping her chin up.

"And what is it you want, Ingrid?" he further inquired.

"I see you are still in need of a burglar for you quest. I would like to volunteer myself. You have already seen what I can do." she told him, shooting a glance at Kili and Fili, who quickly turned red at the memory of her beating them. Thorin had a slightly amused look on his face.

"And what do you know of our quest, girl?" he smirked. She gave him a grin.

"Enough to know that you're going to need someone with a bit more experience than mister Baggins if you want to get past the dragon." she told him. He stared at her for a long moment, as if accessing her. She did not squirm under his gaze, instead, she continued to look him dead in the eyes.

"Give me one good reason why I should allow you join us." he said in a low voice. She looked at him with a wide smile.

"I can give you three. I'm a good fighter. I'm an actual burglar. And I'll do it for half the price." she listed off. Thorin was silent for a moment before cracking the slightest smile.

"I like your ambition, girl." he chuckled, turning to shout behind him, "Get her a pony."

"And what if Bilbo comes?" Gandalf called out to the leader, with a skeptical look on his wise face. Thorin smiled as he mounted his pony.

"Haven't you ever heard of a back up plan, Gandalf?" he asked as Bofur led one of the extra ponies that they were using for carrying luggage, over to Ingrid. "Suppose Bilbo is killed on the quest. That would leave us without a burglar."

The wizard frowned a bit gave Ingrid a warm smile, which she gladly returned. Thorin shot a look at Kili and Fili before adding, "Besides, any man or woman who can beat my nephews, who I trained myself, at hand to hand combat, deserves a spot in my company."

The two brother blushed and quickly looked down at the man's gaze. Ingrid couldn't help but smile at the complement. Bofur, who was still wearing his funny hat, gave her the reigns of the pony.

"Here you go, lassie." Bofur grinned, holding the animal still so climb on. Ingrid smiled in thanks and quickly hoped onto the pony.

"Thank you, sir." she nodded. The funny dwarf waved her off.

"Call me Bofur." he laughed, trotting ahead of her. The company continued down the road with their new burglar.

"So, I guess you're stealing for us now." Fili's voice asked from behind her. The dwarf brothers came to ride along either side of her. She looked at them, both of them stared at her warily.

"Dear me, are you still upset about last night?" she asked with a grin, keeping her eyes locked on the road ahead.

"Perhaps. Your appearance took us by surprise." Kili smirked. She nodded in understanding.

"I've learned to use my gender to my advantage. When people see that I'm a girl, they tend to underestimate me." she explain. "And I use that against them."

"Well, you're a good fighter." Kili retorted, rubbing at the back of his head where he was sporting a large whelp. "I'd hate to be your enemy."

"'Spose it's a good thing she's on our side then, eh?" Fili laughed, nudging Ingrid slightly.

She smiled, opening her mouth to speak, but was cut off when someone down the road shrieked, "Wait! Wait!"

Thorin ordered them all to stop as they turned to see Bilbo Baggins running to catch up to them. He had a large pack strapped to his back and a traveling coat on. The long contract flowed freely in his hand as he came to a stop next to Balin. He held the paper out to the old dwarf, panting, "I signed it."

The old dwarf smiled and pulled a pocket glass from his pocket. Holding the contract out in front of him, Balin held the glass to his eye and examined the signature. With a smile, he announced, "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Up front, Thorin gave a hint of a smile as he called out, "Get him a pony."

"No, no, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I can keep up on foot." the hobbit stuttered, Thorin gave his nephews a knowing, which they returned with a nod. " I- I- I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once - WAGH!"

He was cut off and Kili and Fili grabbed his arms, lifting him up in the air and down onto his pony. Ingrid grinned at the brothers as they trotted back to her side. The company, now complete with one wizard, two burglars and thirteen dwarves.


End file.
